Legal Definitions - arrêt

Definition: Arrêt (ah-retor -ray) is a French term used in civil law. It refers to a judgment, sentence, or decree made by a court that has the authority to do so. It can also refer to a decree made by a sovereign. The plural form of arrêt is arrêts.

• The Supreme Court of Canada issued an arrêt that upheld the constitutionality of same-sex marriage.
• The arrêt of the European Court of Human Rights found that the UK had violated the right to privacy of a group of activists.

These examples illustrate how arrêt is used to refer to a decision made by a court or a sovereign. In both cases, the arrêt is a formal and binding decision that has legal consequences.